Establish a nighttime routine to let your body know it’s time for bed (ex. – turn the lights down low, stop use of electrical devices or use amber filter on computer and glasses for watching tv, get in your pjs, have a cup of sleepy time tea, take a warm bath with epsom salts to relax, get in bed with a good book, spray lavender on your pillow, take your natural sleep remedy)

Have a sleep-inducing bedtime snack (see Five Foods That Put You To Sleep article)

Make sure you are well-hydrated (being dehydrated will cause nighttime waking)

Meditate – There are many online guided meditations and apps for sleep. Doing this will help you unwind and fall asleep more easily. I plug my headphones into my phone and often wake up in the morning with them still in my ears! Now that’s a good night’s sleep!

Be A Believer (SO important): Simply put – If you don’t truly believe you can reach your goals you won’t – end of story. To be an achiever you just gotta be a believer – otherwise you will not fully commit to your goal and any obstacle in your way will throw you off course. To build belief in yourself try this nifty little trick: Take a few minutes each day to visualize yourself already having reached your goal. See yourself looking and feeling amazing!!! Make it real and feel the excitement and bask in your awesomeness. Before you know it – you will be your biggest fan!!!

Keep Your Eye On The Goal: Ask yourself, “Does this behavior or food move me closer or farther away from meeting my goal?” This simple little exercise not only creates the pause often needed to avoid negative behaviors but also gives you a nice reality check!

Wellness Above Weight Loss: Instead of focusing on weight loss (such a downer!), focus instead on wellness (feeling great, increasing energy, being healthy) and weight loss will end up being a side effect of a greater goal.

Prepare Ahead: Preparation is always always the key. Skipping this uber important preliminary first step will set you up for failure like nothing else! So purge that pantry of yours of all junk and inflammatory foods that make you feel and look yucky and restock with heathy promoting foods that make you look and feel fabulous!!! Make the effort to prepare some simple meals ahead of time and freeze them in portion size containers so that you are always a step ahead of your hunger.

Focus On What You Can Have Rather Than What You Can’t: There’s just nothing more depressing and “crave-producing” than thinking about all the foods that are not on your plan. It’s just a matter of time before you cave and give in to temptation. My advice: Flip this to focusing on all the delicious and healthy foods you can have instead – there are SO many!!! All you need is a mind-set switch from depravation to decadence 🙂

Adopt The 80/20 Rule: It’s NOT about being perfect and SO about sustainability and aiming for 100% with no wiggle room for fun is a big fat recipe for failure! Giving yourself that 20% loophole is way more realistic and will result in keeping you on your game not throwing you off. And most importantly…

Get The Right Plan: Egg whites and spinach may seem like the perfect breakfast but not if you’re sensitive to either one or both. Eating your body weight in protein may be fine for gym rats with good digestion but not for peri-menopausal you with your elevated leptin levels (everything in excess turns to fat!). A diet of 80% raw veggies sounds so uber clean and healthy doesn’t it? Well not if you’re little miss IBS – we are talking major bloat and discomfort here – not fun! My point here is that everyone is different with unique biochemistries and individual nutritional needs. Getting a plan that addresses your individuality is paramount to your wellness and your weight loss success. No one plan is right for everyone but a plan that addresses your individual food sensitivities and specific nutritional needs is the right plan for anyone.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice

for garnishing the glass

1 tbsp. crushed raspberries

½ c. all-natural cranberry juice

1 splash raspberry-flavored sparkling water

raspberries

DIRECTIONS

To prepare martini glass, wet the rim of the glass with a small bit of lime juice and dip into sugar. Shake the crushed raspberries with the remaining lime juice and ice. Add the cranberry juice and sparkling water and pour into glass (draining the raspberry puree and ice). Garnish with raspberries skewered on a thin stirrer.

This festive little cocktail shows off the deep red hues of the holiday season. But this cocktail doesn’t just look festive, it tastes it too thanks to some champagne and fresh pomegranate juice. The best part? The recipe uses lightened-up ingredients to keep it low-cal and low-sugar.

With all the parties, food and alcohol, it can be hard to keep your waistline in check without feeling like you’re missing out. At only 150 calories, you can enjoy the festive cheer without overindulging. Cheers!

Ingredients

1/2 oz pomegranate liqueur

4 oz apple cider

2 oz shiraz – to float on top

Orange garnish

pomegranate seeds

fresh mint

Directions:

Mix together pomegranate liquor and apple cider. Float shiraz on top and garnish with orange slice, pomegranate seeds and fresh mint leaves.

Scoop out the inside of your pumpkin, and separate seeds from pulp. Don’t worry if there’s a little pulp left on the seeds when you roast them—it only adds flavor. Just remove the biggest pieces so that the seeds are easy to toss.

In a bowl, toss the seeds with the melted butter/olive oil, coating thoroughly. Add salt, sweetener and seasonings.

Spread seeds in one even layer across a greased baking sheet (or you can use a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil). Bake for 30 minutes, or until the seeds are golden brown. Stir the seeds every so often while they’re baking, so that they toast evenly.

Who needs bread with these delectable little waist-friendly grab ‘n go “sandwiches”. There are endless combinations and taste possibilities – get creative! Can be made the day before and stored in the refrigerator making these the perfect quick ‘n easy protein-rich snack or meal.

INGREDIENTS: (for each wrap)

1 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaf (cleaned and dried)

1 oz. lean protein (ex. chicken, turkey, tuna or salmon)

1/4 c finely chopped or small amount julienned veggies

1 T Hummus or 1 t vinaigrette

1 t ground flax seeds

METHOD:

Assemble ingredients in the order listed above. Either roll or fold lettuce leaf in half, store in container and refrigerate.